Eduardo Bolsonaro withdraws Senate bid, names ally as substitute

Eduardo Bolsonaro, the federal deputy and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has withdrawn his bid to serve as a substitute senator for São Paulo. The decision, made over the weekend, was driven by an assessment that his candidacy would likely be challenged and invalidated by the Electoral Justice system, according to André do Prado, president of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo (Alesp).

Prado, who is running for senator himself on Tarcísio de Freitas's ticket, was initially slated to have Eduardo Bolsonaro as his substitute. However, Bolsonaro's planned move to the United States in February 2025 and his subsequent conviction by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) for coercion in legal proceedings rendered this arrangement unfeasible. The STF sentenced him to four years and two months in prison in June, declaring him ineligible to run for office for eight years.

Initially, the plan was for Prado's campaign to seek a reversal of Bolsonaro's ineligibility. The strategy reportedly involved Bolsonaro's brother, Flávio Bolsonaro, winning the presidential election, which would then lead Prado to resign his Senate seat to accept a government position, such as a ministry. This scenario would have paved the way for Eduardo Bolsonaro to return to Brazil and assume the Senate seat.

With Eduardo Bolsonaro's withdrawal, the first substitute on Prado's ticket is now Fernando Fiori de Godoy, the former mayor of Holambra. Eduardo Bolsonaro himself nominated Rute Costa, a city councilwoman from São Paulo, to fill the second substitute position. Prado noted that Costa's selection was influenced by her gender and her close relationship with fellow councilwoman Sonaira Fernandes, a former advisor to Eduardo Bolsonaro and considered a staunch "Bolsonarista raiz."